


Platonic

by the_eye_of_the_panda



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27977550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_eye_of_the_panda/pseuds/the_eye_of_the_panda
Summary: It took him completely by surprise, and Trunks is blown away when he sees the beautiful young woman that Pan has become. He tries to convince himself that his feelings for the twenty-year-old are strictly platonic, but deep down, he knows he's fooling himself. Although, with a big party with the whole gang coming up, things are bound to start moving…
Relationships: Trunks Briefs/Son Pan, Videl Satan/Son Gohan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

It had been years since the last time he came here, and Trunks felt guilty that he hadn't been visiting Gohan and his family much anymore. Growing up, Gohan had been like a big brother to him, and he had always looked up to the older half-Saiyan. He used to be jealous of Goten for having such a great older brother, and while later on, he did get a sibling of his own, having a little sister wasn't the same – and Bra was a pain in the ass most of the time anyway.

Gohan welcomed him with a warm smile and a big hug. "It's been too long, Trunks," he said, pulling back. He grinned and ruffled his lilac hair, making the younger man blush slightly. "Look at you, all big and grown-up. What happened to the little runt who would always fail to pull pranks on me?"

"I didn't _always_ fail, and I'll have you know that it's really hard to trick a Saiyan. Good ol' Yamcha always fell for it, though. I love that guy."

They laughed as Gohan led him to the living room. Trunks looked around the place with a melancholic smile. Still so full of shelves and stacked with books on every wall. Trunks always felt like he was in a library when he visited Gohan – the only thing missing was an old and strict-looking lady who would go " _Shhhh"_ every time someone opened their mouth.

They sat together on the sofa. "So," Gohan started, "any reason for your visit, or did you finally remember where I lived?"

"Ha, ha, so funny," Trunks said blankly, rolling his eyes. "But since you're asking, I'm planning a surprise party for Goten, and I thought you might want to be there."

"A surprise party? But his birthday isn't for another two months."

"Not for his birthday. As you know, he and Marron finally got together – about fucking time, too. They've been pining for each other for, like, two decades or something. I think a big party is called for."

Gohan threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Indeed! Took them long enough, huh?

"Tell me about it. I was starting to think I would never live to see this day."

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. "I hear you." He got up then and offered, "Would you like something to drink? Or a snack? I think we might have some cookies and biscuits left."

"Sounds good," Trunks grinned, never one to refuse a snack.

"With milk, then?" Gohan called from over his shoulder on his way to the kitchen.

"Do you even have to ask?" Trunks laughed with his friend, who then disappeared into the other room to prepare the snacks.

He leaned back on the sofa and made himself comfortable as he waited, looking around the living room distractedly. This house was much, much smaller than the extravagant one that Mr. Satan gave them as a wedding present all those years ago. Gohan had waited to afford something nice on his own and bought his family a small and cozy home out in the mountains, now living much closer to his parents'. It was so him, to do something like that – Gohan couldn't ever have stayed in the city very long, no matter how much more convenient living in a metropolis could be. He loved simplicity, and Trunks figured that his friend didn't really like relying on others to advance in life either, even if it had been a gift from his father-in-law.

It still baffled him that they didn't own a TV. The radio was always on in the background, and Trunks supposed they preferred to rely on it to follow the news. Well, nowadays you could find anything to watch online anyway, so the young man thought that it probably didn't matter. Still, a living area felt off without a television. Where was the furniture supposed to point to without one?

Gohan and Videl answered the question with a simple and elegant fireplace. Trunks got up from the sofa and walked over to it, picking up a frame from the mantlepiece. A wishful smile tugged at his lips at the photo. It was about fifteen years ago, some time after the twenty-eighth world tournament where Goku had left with Uub. Gohan's father had come for a visit, and he was hugging his two sons, Pan, Videl and Chichi all at once. Everyone looked happy, Goten and Gohan looked slightly embarrassed too, Videl was downright cracking up, little Pan was all starry-eyed at her grampa's return, and Chichi was tearing up with a big grin stretching on her lips.

Trunks put the frame back on the mantelpiece and picked up another one. This one was even older. Gohan and Videl weren't even twenty years old in there, and Goten, Marron and himself were also posing for the shot, the three of them each holding up a huge fish with big, proud grins lighting up their faces, and Gohan was helping Marron with hers. Trunks tilted his head, trying to remember that day. Gosh, it was so long ago… They'd obviously been fishing, but they would do that all the time back then. He narrowed his eyes at the photo, noticing the tents and the wildfire in the background. So they'd been camping… It wasn't helping him narrow that memory – they'd gone camping together countless times when he was a kid.

"Oh, hey, I remember that," Gohan commented, coming up from behind him. "Videl and I took you guys camping. Marron had tripped and wouldn't stop crying, and it was only when Videl suggested we all go fish for dinner that she calmed down. See?" He pointed at Marron's legs on the photo. "She'd scratched her knees. The poor thing."

There were, indeed, two band-aids on her little knees. Trunks' eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I remember now! We had a blast. And Videl's ghost stories were terrifying. Geez, I remember I had nightmares that night…"

Gohan snorted laughing into his hand. "Oh, man, I remember! You kids were screaming like a serial killer was after you. Gosh, Videl's stories are the best."

"Pretty sure she made Marron cry too. Geez, not such a fun day for little Marron, was it?"

"I'm not sure she remembers it. She was only six or seven here."

Trunks placed the photo back on the chimney and looked at one of the two other frames left. The first was Gohan and Videl's wedding photo. They were both glowing with happiness, so young and beautiful. Trunks smiled fondly.

"Videl's so beautiful here… You know," he said, glancing at Gohan with a sheepish smile and a faint blush. "I used to have a _major_ crush on her. Pretty sure Goten did too. She was just so pretty, and badass as fuck."

Gohan chuckled, his cheeks pigmenting with red. "Can't blame you for that. I happened to have a major crush on her too, back then."

Trunks snickered, and Gohan grinned wide, mirth dancing in his onyx eyes.

"Can't believe you guys have been married for so many years," the younger man said, his voice lowering to a whisper as he looked at the picture, and what it implicated, in awe. "How long has it been now?"

"Twenty-one years," Gohan replied without missing a beat, beaming in joy as he gazed upon his gorgeous bride. "The most wonderful years of my life."

Trunks sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Man, you are so lucky. How did you manage to find 'the one' on your first try? I'm jealous."

"Aww, don't be like that." Gohan patted his back and beamed at him. "You'll find your Videl when you least expect it, you'll see."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Not everybody gets as lucky as you, Gohan. I mean, seriously, man – on your _first_ try?"

"Oh, believe me, I _know_. I thank my lucky star every day for having sent Videl my way. I don't even want to _think_ what my life would be like without her."

"Lucky bastard," Trunks muttered half-jokingly, turning his attention to the last photo on the mantelpiece.

This one was much more recent. It was Pan, posing in a beautiful, strapless turquoise gown, right before going to her high school prom.

His throat tightened. "Wow…"

"She's growing up too fast, that one," Gohan murmured with a loving smile. "I can't believe she's old enough to be living on her own now… At least we still have Mark and Mika, for now anyway. At the rate these two are growing, they're going to be out in college in no time too."

"How old are they now?" Trunks asked distractedly, feeling like he was on autopilot mode. He just couldn't take his eyes off the picture of Pan. She was so… enchanting. She looked so much like her mother, with a little bit of Chichi too.

She was just… stunning.

"Mark's nine and Mika's seven." Gohan walked over to the living room table and picked up the frame on it; photos were everywhere in this home. He sat on the sofa and sighed fondly as he looked at the recent picture of his little family. Videl, Pan, Mark, Mika, and him… "They're growing up so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was bringing Mika out of the delivery room to show her to everyone…"

Trunks finally tore his eyes off the photo of Pan. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and joined Gohan in the sitting area. He grabbed a cookie from the tray on the living room table as he sat down beside his friend.

He looked at the picture Gohan was holding. Mark looked a lot like Gohan, but he had curly black hair, blue eyes and a darker complexion, not unlike his grandfather from his mother's side. Mika had the most adorable smile. She had brown hair, which Trunks knew she took after Videl's late mother, and she was wearing it into pigtails in the photo. She looked like Chichi, had blue eyes and fair skin like Videl, and from what he remembered of the little girl, she was somehow both girly and boyish at the same time.

"You make cute kids."

"We do, don't we?" the family man replied, his eyes softening. "I love them to death." He turned to his friend and put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "You'll have that too, Trunks. I know you will. You'll find your perfect woman, and you'll start a family of your own, too. You'll see."

The younger man nodded his head, munching on the cookie distractedly; his attention was drawn by Gohan and Videl's eldest daughter. This photo wasn't even a year old, and it showed. Pan looked older and more mature than in the picture of her prom night. She was growing into such a beautiful young woman… Trunks couldn't believe this really was the little tomboy who would always light up at the prospect of a good fight, that this… _woman_ was actually the kid who was happiest when covered in dirt and full of bruises.

"Yeah… Maybe…" he replied with a sigh, running a hand through his fine lilac locks as he looked away from the image of his unrecognizable childhood friend. Had it really been that long since he'd last seen her? How could she turn into this… entrancing creature, in just a few years?

The front door opened, and Gohan's face lit up as his wife walked in, holding Mark and Mika in either hand. He leaped over the couch, crouched down and opened his arms, inviting his eager kids to jump into them – which they did with squeals of glee. Trunks looked on, his eyes softening, as Gohan straightened up, Mark and Mika in each arm, and leaned down to kiss his wife's cheek.

His heart tightened. He wanted that too. He wished he had someone who would look at him the way Videl looked at Gohan, that he had a loving family to come home to. At thirty-four years old, Trunks was well over his first try at looking for"the one" and he was nowhere near close to coming upon her, whoever and wherever she was. If she even existed.

"Hey, Videl, hey, kids. Long time no see," he said, standing up to greet them properly.

"Is that Trunks?" A voice he barely recognized asked. The young woman peeked inside from the half-open door and perked up. She walked in and came up behind her mother, carrying a bag of groceries. She put it down as their gazes locked.

Trunks lost his breath. She was even more beautiful than in photos. Her pitch black eyes twinkled like a starlit sky, creating a captivating contrast with her creamy complexion. She'd let her hair grow, her long raven tendrils now reaching down to her elbows, and she was wearing a white _V_ -neck t-shirt tucked in a denim skirt, along with black tennis shoes. Her simple outfit flattered her curvy figure and offered him the sight of her amazing legs. His chest burned with something he couldn't quite place.

Her face broke into a grin. Pan ran past her family and all but jumped into his arms. "Trunks! It's been so long! I've missed you!"

He was frozen on the spot. Her scent, her warmth, her overwhelming presence – it all crashed onto him, burying him under a pile of rubble. He swallowed.

_What the hell…?_

Why was he so irreversibly attracted to Gohan's daughter? She was only twenty! She was barely out of her teenage years – and _he was_ _fourteen_ _years older than her_ , for god's sake!

She pulled back, her bright smile making his chest ache. "You haven't changed one bit. Are you going to look forever twenty-five?" she joked.

He chuckled and blushed and didn't know what to do with himself. Forget twenty-five, forget his actual age – he felt like a fucking _sixteen-year-old_ right now. His heart was racing like it never had before, his face felt like it had burst into flames, his throat was dry as the desert, and he kept wiping his sweaty hands on his pants every now and again. Man, he felt so damn nervous. What was happening to him?

What was Pan doing to him?

"Tell me about it, Gohan looks so much younger than me and we're the same age!" Videl complained, while her husband let their children down. Mark and Mika immediately ran outside to play. She sighed tiredly, massaging her neck. "Ah, look at them go. Hopefully they tire themselves out…"

Glancing at Gohan, Trunks couldn't help the smile forming on his lips at the glazed over look on his face. With the way he was looking at his wife – his flushed face, his parted lips, and his enamored eyes – you would think he was seeing her for the first time and falling in love with her all over again.

She noticed her husband staring at her and her cheeks turned red. Videl looked away and pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stop looking at me like that – we're not alone."

"Huh? What?" Gohan blinked several times. He looked like he was just coming out of a daze and didn't seem like he had any idea of what was going on. He tilted his head and scratched his hair. "What'd I do?"

Pan stifled her laughter into her hand. "Geez, you two. You never change, do you?" She gave Trunks an amused look and let out a dramatic sigh while raising her hands, her palms upwards. "I swear, my parents are hopeless."

He cracked a smile in response. Growing up with parents like Gohan and Videl sure must've been something else. With Bulma and Vegeta as his own, he could only imagine what it had been like for Pan, with folks who acted like teenagers in love and were all mushy and lovey-dovey and just disgustingly cute all the time. With his own parents, there was always a lot of arguing, some civil moments, very, very scarce moments of public show of affection, and the rest of the time they, um… well, let's just say Vegeta and Bulma took their conjugal duties very seriously.

Pan grinned at him and took his hand in both of hers – and his heart all but stopped at the touch, however simple it may be. Trunks felt his skin tingle, and his legs were growing weak as he was once again entranced by her stunning smile.

"Let's go," she said. "We have so much catching up to do – and Mom and Papa need their alone time, too."

Unable to respond in any way, Trunks simply let the beautiful young woman drag him out of the house.

"But, um…" Gohan mumbled, his face turning bright crimson at his daughter's comment.

Videl watched her daughter leave with the blushing young man with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. Interesting."

"Hm? What is?" Gohan asked her, his curiosity piqued. His wife giggled. Gohan blinked. "What? What is it?"

She touched his cheek and gazed at him tenderly. "Oh, Sweetheart, you're so clueless. I love you so much."

Her lips on his distracted him from his confusion. For a few moments. He fluttered his eyes open as Videl pulled back.

"Well, I better start on dinner. Especially if we have another part-Saiyan to feed."

He watched his beautiful wife go to the kitchen, still a little dazed, and then he started jogging after her. "Wait. What is it? What did I miss?"

She gave him a knowing smirk as he followed her into the kitchen. "You'll see soon enough. If I'm right, things could get really interesting pretty soon." She tied her apron behind her back.

"What do you mean?"

Videl giggled. "You're so cute, Gohan." She went to him and kissed his cheek. "Help me peel the potatoes?"

"Uh… Yeah, sure…" he complied, still uncertain. "But…"

"What brought Trunks over, by the way?" she asked, turning on the stove before taking a big pot out of the cabinets and filling it with water. "He hasn't visited in a while."

"Oh, um…" It took Gohan a moment to refocus. "He's planning a surprise party for Goten and Marron."

Videl chuckled, going back to the stove to place the pot on the fire. "That's a great idea. About time those two finally got together."

Gohan cracked a grin, going over to the fridge to grab a net full of potatoes. "Yeah, that's what we said, too."

"Did he say when?" Videl asked, grinning at her handsome husband as she passed him on the way to the fridge, while Gohan went to the counter to start peeling the potatoes.

"Uh, I forgot to ask. Well, we'll ask him at dinner, since he's obviously invited," he added, chuckling in amusement.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Trunks found himself a date for that party? He's not seeing anyone right now, is he?"

"Doesn't seem so, no." Gohan paused peeling and sighed softly. "He's a bit dejected at his lack of luck with women. I hope he finds the right girl soon. He deserves it."

 _Remember that when things start happening,_ Videl thought with a mirthful smile. "I've got a feeling he's going to find her soon enough."

Her clueless husband perked up. "Really? What makes you think that?"

She moved to stand beside him at the counter and started cutting vegetables on a wooden board. She shrugged. "Just a feeling. A handsome man like him, and smart and sweet too – I'm sure there's a ton of women after him. He's just got to pick the right one."

"You know, he said he used to have a big crush on you as a kid. Should I be worried?" Gohan joked with a wide grin, nudging her with his elbow. Videl had to stop cutting because she burst out laughing.

ooOoo

It was hard to focus on what she was saying. Trunks found himself getting distracted by her beautiful coal eyes, or her full, cherry lips, or the way the gentle breeze swayed her long raven locks, and how her stray, rebel strands kept untucking from behind her ear, making him itch to reach over and brush them away.

He swallowed. This was bad. Things were going in the wrong direction – he could _not_ be attracted to his best friend's niece. He'd changed her diapers, for Pete's sake! He was way too old for her. This couldn't happen. There was no "this" to happen at all. There was nothing. There couldn't be anything. He was _not_ attracted to Pan – it would be just too wrong.

They were sitting under the shade of a tree, a little ways from Gohan's house with a good view of the kids playing together. Pan had been talking about school and her friends and how much she loved living away from home even though it could be lonely at times and that she did miss her family. She looked flushed as she talked excitedly, and she was moving her hands a lot.

It warmed his heart. She seemed genuinely happy to see him, and Trunks wished he'd been around more often to watch her grow up. And maybe then, the transition from tough, cute tomboy to gorgeous young woman would have been a lot easier for him and wouldn't have left him so stunned.

"I come home all the time though, so sometimes it almost feels like I've never been gone," she continued. Pan blushed slightly and scratched her hair – in a very Son-like manner. She truly was her father's daughter, that one.

 _Gosh, she's so cute_ , Trunks couldn't help thinking, trying to convince himself he only meant it in a platonic way.

"Sorry, here I am babbling on and on, you must be bored to death."

"Not at all," Trunks replied with a kind smile. "I like listening to you. It really has been too long, and I've missed you too."

She beamed. He felt like swooning, his eyes glazing over and his lips breaking into a silly smile.

Damn it, why was she so goddamn beautiful? Why couldn't she have stayed the little girl he used to babysit and play with all the time years ago? Pan was really making things hard for him…

"So, what about you?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eye. "Still the most eligible bachelor in the country, Dr. Trunks Briefs?"

He smirked. "Why, are you interested?"

_Oh my god, I did not just say that… oh my god Gohan's gonna kill me – that's it, I'm dead. Goodbye world, it's been nice while it lasted._

While these thoughts ran through his head, Pan flushed and looked down at her hands. Her reaction made him pause.

"D-Don't be stupid, I was just… uh… and anyway I have a boyfriend."

Well, of course she did. How could such an enchanting creature still be single?

That was that, then. It wasn't like anything could happen anyway.

It wasn't like he actually _wanted_ something to happen.

Or so Trunks kept telling himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant this to be a one-shot, but I guess it works better with chapters. I was inspired to write more Pan after the brief scene with her in my recent one-shot Even Fifty Years from Now, and since I like her with Trunks, and my good friend Sailor Saiyan is a huge TxP fan, I figured I'd give the fandom another shot. It's not going to be very long, but honestly, I only have a very vague idea of the plot, so we'll see where the story takes us. Hopefully, you'll be joining me for the ride. And, of course, I had to sprinkle some GhVi goodness in there. Some things can never change lmao. xDD Hope you liked the first chapter – let me know what you think!
> 
> May 11, 2018


	2. Chapter 2

Growing up, Trunks had quickly learned that his family was unconventional. The alien element aside, it was when he would go visit his best friend Goten that he really saw the difference. His mom was always busy with work, and his dad was always training. They respectively took breaks whenever they got hungry, and it didn't necessarily fit with conventional meal times. As a result, more often than not, Trunks' company at the dinner table had usually consisted of his grandparents and, later on, his little sister Bra. Picking up his parents' bad habit with time, Trunks was now used to eating by himself whenever he felt like it.

Dinner with Gohan's family felt… foreign to him. To think they got reunited like this every night, happily talking about their day as they ate the meal Videl and Gohan made together.

The parents were sitting at each end of the dinner table, with Mika and Mark on one side and Pan and Trunks on the other. Pan reached over to grab the mashed potatoes dish and help herself some – and Trunks found himself flushing deeply as her arm brushed his shoulder. She was so close that he could smell her natural scent and it was only making him more flustered.

He hated how much she affected him. He hated how much he liked it.

"So, Trunks," Videl started when the kids were done telling everything that happened to them today. "Gohan told me about the party you're planning. When will it be?"

"A party?" Mika said, her eyes lighting up. "Like Rain's birthday party last week? We had sooo much fun! Her parents got a whole zoo in their backyard, and there was a bouncy house and the cake was _huuuge_!"

"Not quite," Trunks replied, cracking a smile at the cute little girl. "But I like the cake idea. It has to be huge."

"What party?" Pan asked.

"For Goten and Marron," Gohan said simply.

"Oh, that's a great idea! Goten is lucky to have a best friend like you."

Damn. She was too pretty. Her smile was making him melt.

"It's in two weeks, at Capsule Corp. I figure it's more than enough to get everything ready."

"Why Capsule Corp?" Pan asked. "I mean, sure, it's big and convenient, but wouldn't it be better to pick out a more meaningful place to celebrate Goten and Marron's relationship?"

He raised an eyebrow. He hadn't thought of that – well, obviously. It was such a _girl_ thing to think. "What do you suggest?"

"Hmm, let me think…"

She was killing him there… Pan had the most adorable thoughtful expression, her brow furrowed deeply as she held her chin in her hand and looked sideways.

"How about the beach?" Gohan suddenly piped up. "I mean, isn't that where they shared their first kiss?"

That… actually sounded perfect. Trunks blinked at the older halfling. "Now I feel silly for not thinking about it first," he said with a chuckle, running his hand through his lavender hair.

"Papa's just a big romantic at heart," Pan offered with a broad grin, causing her father to look down at his plate while a bright, crimson blush streaked across his face.

"I… Uh… It's just, Goten was so happy when he told me about it so I, um, I figured…"

Trunks snickered. Gohan had always been so fun to tease – some things never changed.

"Laugh all you want, but your boyfriend's got nothing on my husband," Videl teased playfully while she defended her man. "The other day your dad was flying home and he came back with some flowers he'd picked on his way, on a whim. Your boyfriend ever got you flowers?"

Pan rolled her eyes. "We're not like that. I don't really care for flowers anyway." She shrugged to further make her point. "Hey, could you pass the juice?" she asked Trunks with a dazzling smile.

The young man obliged right away and even filled her glass with the fruity beverage. He was rewarded with an ever brighter smile for his effort and, consequently, weird things started happening in his chest.

"Do you at least have long talks with him?" Videl inquired.

Trunks frowned. He didn't really like the turn the conversation was taking for some reason. It sounded like Videl was genuinely worried about Pan's relationship – like she didn't approve of it.

"Your dad and I still have those," she continued. "We have a real connection – we can talk about anything for hours, and, at the same time, we can stay silent together and just enjoy each other's company without feeling the need to speak."

Pan was starting to frown too. "Look, Mom, I know you don't like Emmet, but _I_ do, and that's what matters."

"I just think you could do better," Videl said, leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms. "The time you brought him over, he barely paid you any attention and kept his eyes glued to the game the whole time."

"Well, it was a big baseball game. And I was watching too," Pan defended, glaring at her mother.

Gohan cleared his throat. "Sweetie, maybe we ought to let Pan make her own choices?" he croaked tentatively.

Videl's eyes softened when she turned to her husband. She sighed in dejection. "I guess…"

The young woman on Trunks' left let out a deep, relieved breath, her shoulders slumping, as though she felt utterly exhausted all of a sudden. "Thanks, Papa…"

"Well, for what it's worth, I kinda agree with your mom," Gohan said with a broad grin and playful eyes. "I'm not a big fan of Emmet, but hey, I don't really know him, and I do trust your judgment."

She beamed at her father. Trunks felt a pang in his chest, inexplicably. He swallowed the big lump in his throat, or tried to anyway.

He didn't like this. From the sound of it, Pan's boyfriend wasn't treating her right. Neither Gohan nor Videl looked too happy about their daughter's choice for the man in her life. If it were him, Trunks would be showering Pan with flowers and gifts every day, he would treasure her with all of his heart, he would treat her like the queen she was.

His fingers trembled slightly as he tore his gaze away from the beautiful young woman sitting beside him and focused on his plate.

_If it were him…?_

What the hell was wrong with him? It couldn't, it shouldn't ever _be_ him. Pan was only twenty years old, for crying out loud – a mere few years ago, being with her romantically would have been _illegal_.

This was fucked up. He was messed up in the head. He shouldn't ever think of little Panny in this way, let alone imagine himself in a romantic way with her. He was a thirty-four-year-old grown-ass man, for god's sake – and she was just a kid!

He felt disgusted with himself. To think he was attracted to a kid… He had never been one to date young women, not since he passed the thirty years old thresholds at least. The youngest woman he had been with as of late had been twenty-eight. He was by no means attracted to teenagers.

But that was the thing – Pan may only be twenty years old, but she looked like a grown woman. And she was drop-dead gorgeous to boot. And adorable, and sweet, and cute, and delightfully awkward, and fun, and she had the most stunning smile.

Why did this have to happen? He wanted so hard to just have platonic feelings for Pan – but there was no denying it anymore, was there? He was attracted to her – madly attracted to her, to be honest.

This was bad. It wasn't any attraction, either. Trunks felt something else – the beginning of something more. The beginning of something real.

His hand closed tightly around his fork – so much so that the silverware bent under his strength.

"Trunks? You okay?" asked Gohan, his voice laced with concern.

What would he think of him if Gohan knew was he was thinking about? If Gohan knew how he saw his beloved daughter? How would he react if he knew what was going through his head right now?

"Yeah, sorry about the fork…" Trunks forced a grin as he straightened the fork as best he could. It wasn't perfect, but at least now it was usable again. "Sometimes we just can't tell our own strength, right?"

Easily gullible, Gohan grinned back and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I feel you. You do a better job at fixing up your mess than I do, for that matter," he added with a chuckle.

Unknown to them, Videl was watching their guest with hawk-like eyes. She saw every reaction, every change of expression; every blush, every nervous smile, every glazed-over look, every trickle of sweat forming on Trunks' forehead as her daughter's mere presence affected him in ways that she knew all too well and easily recognized.

As she had clearly shown earlier, she did not approve of Pan's boyfriend. In her book, Emmet was a dickhead and her daughter deserved so much better than some guy who barely showed her affection.

Trunks, on the other hand… Yes, so the age gap may be a little off-putting, but that wouldn't have stopped Videl, had Gohan been fourteen years older than her. She would have gone for it head first, just like she had all those years ago, right after they saved the universe from Majin Buu. That threat had been a sore reminder that life was just too short to waste time overthinking stuff instead of taking action.

And so, Videl went for it. After she was done calling him names and hitting his chest and berating him for making her so worried; after she calmed down and as she dried her tears, Gohan looked at her with that stunning smile on his face as he held her shoulders. His voice was gentle and reassuring as he said, "Hey, everything's back to normal now, right? That's what matters, isn't it?"

She sniffed and kept trying to dry her face, but she just couldn't stop the tears. Gohan brushed away a tear on her cheek with the back of his fingers; his tender touch made her chest ache, and her throat tightened.

Their eyes locked then. Videl's breath had hitched. And then she grabbed his hand firmly and looked deep into his beautiful coal eyes.

And then she said it–

"Never leave me again, okay? I… I want to stay by your side, Gohan."

His brow had furrowed ever so slightly, as though he wasn't quite sure what she meant. Her cheeks had flushed brightly as she forced herself to be more clear, gathering her courage. With someone as dense as Gohan, she couldn't be subtle about that kind of thing, could she?

But just as she opened her mouth to confess her feelings to him in a more obvious way, Gohan cupped her face between his palms and leaned in, pressing his lips on her forehead.

"Okay," he murmured, looking down at her with everything she had hoped to see and more. He smiled, and his hands trembled against her cheeks as he continued, his voice hoarse and full of emotion. "I won't leave your side again, ever."

And that was that.

Videl imagined a scenario where, for instance, Gohan had been her teacher and was much older than her. Somehow, she couldn't picture it going any differently even if it had gone like that. He would still have played the superhero, she would still have figured him out in two seconds the very first time "the Great Saiyaman" showed up before her, and she would've still blackmailed him to teach her how to fly and to enter the tournament – so what if he was a teacher? That wouldn't have stopped her from getting what she wanted. And then she would have fallen in love with him as he taught her about _ki_ , and she would have still confessed her feelings to him in the very same way, on Dende's Lookout, right after they defeated Majin Buu.

Gohan may have had some reservations at first, given their age difference and the fact that he was her teacher – but none of that would have mattered in the long run. They were in love, and nothing could've stopped them from being together. They were like two poles of a magnet, irreversibly attracted to one another no matter what you put in between them.

So if Trunks was serious about Pan, the rest shouldn't matter. It certainly didn't bother Videl. She adored Trunks like a little brother, and she would love for Pan to get together with someone like him. So what if he was older? That just meant he was reliable, responsible, mature – those were all great qualities; things that were definitely a plus in a potential son-in-law.

"So, the party would take place in two weeks on the beach Goten and Marron shared their first kiss, right?" she summarized, getting back to their initial subject.

"I guess so," Trunks shrugged.

"What beach was it exactly?" Pan asked, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, it wasn't on Kame House's island, was it? That wouldn't leave a lot of room for a big party."

"No, it was in Satan City," Gohan corrected her. He shot them a grin. "Yep, my brother tells me everything."

"He's just a blabbermouth," Trunks waved him off. "He tells me everything too."

Mark looked up from his plate at that moment, as he had been too focused on his dinner until now to take part in the conversation. Not that it had been that interesting until now.

He grinned, his face smudged all over with sauce and rice crumbs. "He told me too!"

Mika's head jerked up next and she raised her hand. "Me too! Me too!" Her face was just as much of a mess as her brother's.

Trunks gave Gohan a pointed look, showing his very own kids with a wave of the hand. "See? They just proved my point."

"Yeah, well, I bet he didn't tell you _who_ kissed _who_ first, did he?" Gohan countered with a smirk.

Trunks paused, putting down his fork. He narrowed his eyes at his best friend's brother. "What do you mean?"

The older man grinned in triumph, leaning back on his chair and crossing his arms. "See? Goten tells me everything. To you guys, he just gives the headlines."

"Wait…" Pan cut in, looking at her father with deep interest. "Who kissed who first? Now I want to know!"

"Me too!" exclaimed both Mark and Mika as they stared expectantly at their father.

Gohan shrugged his shoulders and raised his palms upwards, as if to say his hands were tied. "I can't help you, kiddos, I'm bound to secrecy by the bro code."

"That is so not what the bro code meant," Trunks couldn't help but snicker at Gohan's silliness.

The family man simply shrugged again. "Either way, if Goten didn't tell you, I ain't gonna spill."

"You told me, though," Videl grinned playfully.

"What? Not fair!" complained all three of their kids.

"You're my wife, that's different," Gohan mumbled, looking down with a bright blush on his face. He scratched his hair uneasily.

"True. You have to tell me everything. It was in our vows," Videl grinned, her eyes shining with mirth.

"Funny, I don't remember that part," Trunks said, tapping his chin, as though he was trying to recall that particular bit of Gohan and Videl's wedding ceremony.

"You weren't there for it."

Videl's smirk was full of innuendo, so much that Trunks couldn't help looking down at his plate, nor could he stop the blush forming on his cheeks.

" _Moooom_!" Pan complained with a grimace. She put her hands over her ears. "Geez! I did _not_ need to know that."

Mark and Mika shared a look, obviously not getting why Pan was getting so worked up. Then they both shrugged and returned to their dinner. While the adults were busy talking, it was easier to snatch what was left on the table.

Videl laughed heartily, and Gohan grinned sheepishly through his blush as he looked lovingly at his wife. She shook her head.

"Anyway," she started once again. "I just thought of something. How about you help Trunks organizing the party for Goten and Marron, Pan? Your midterms are over now so you've got a lot of free time on your hands, don't you?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Pan perked up and turned to Trunks excitedly. "That's okay with you, right?" And then, without waiting for his reply, "Oh, this is going so much fun!"

The young man wouldn't have been able to respond anything anyway, for he was utterly and completely frozen on the spot. The piece of meat on his uneven fork dropped back on his plate as he stared at the young woman on his left.

This was a joke, right? The higher powers were pulling a prank on him, weren't they? That had to be it. Why else would they purposely get that devilish idea into Pan's head?

Speaking of devilish ideas – was Videl trying to _kill_ him? Why would she suggest such a thing? He was fine planning that party on his own, thank you very much! It wouldn't be his first, that was for sure, and his banquets or balls or even bachelor bashes were always a big success! He didn't need help – and he certainly didn't need a twenty-year-old temptress breathing on his neck while he tried to do something nice for his two best friends.

A worried line creased Pan's youthful brow. "It _is_ okay with you, isn't it, Trunks?"

His throat tightened. Damn it, he had lost the battle before he could even throw the first punch.

Damn her and her adorable pout. That girl was going to be the end of him.

ooOoo

"I was thinking of setting up a big tent for the party. It would be much nicer than getting sunburnt, right?"

Trunks sipped his cold drink and nodded his head distractedly, making a point not to look at the gorgeous young woman sitting across from him.

It was the next day, and they were sitting together at the terrace of a café to talk about the upcoming party. A broad canopy offered much-welcomed shade in this hot day. Pan was wearing a tiny tube top that didn't even cover her navel along with a pair of denim shorts and flip flops.

Trunks cursed the hot weather. Pan was showing _way_ too much skin for his sanity.

"Sounds good," he said. Despite his reluctance to work with Pan, he still very much wanted to throw that party for Goten and Marron, so he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of the initial plan.

"What kind of decorations are you thinking of?" Pan immediately followed up. "Do you have a theme?"

"I haven't thought of the details yet," Trunks admitted with a shrug. "I just decided to throw a party for them."

Pan grinned. His heart stung. "Fair enough. I wish Dad would give me more details about how they got together and all, it would sure help to come up with a more personal theme."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't worry about it, I've got all the details we need." He smirked. "I called Goten last night and grilled him until he told me everything that happened between him and Marron."

She laughed with her hand over her mouth. "Ah! That's perfect." Then she leaned over the table and stared at him with an inquisitive glint in her eyes. "Tell me everything."

He chuckled. Well, maybe planning the party with Pan wasn't such a bad idea after all. She certainly offered an interesting point of view. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't control himself; he wasn't an animal and could very well behave in the presence of the twenty-year-old temptress. Yes, okay, so he had feelings for Pan. He wasn't denying it anymore. But it was just a little crush, and it would pass eventually. He had just been a little stunned by the beautiful woman Pan had become, which was more than understandable.

And he liked hanging out with her. She was fun. A part of him was glad, in fact, that she was planning this party with him.

ooOoo

He was walking her home. Pan lived in the university dorms and shared her room with a friend. They were talking and laughing together as they got closer to her door, so enraptured by each other than they didn't notice the young man leaning against the doorframe.

Emmet narrowed his eyes as he watched his girlfriend talk animatedly with an extremely attractive man. Then his brow furrowed. That guy looked oddly familiar…

"Oh! Emmet!" Pan perked up when she saw him. "Were you waiting for me? Isn't Betty in to let you wait inside?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I didn't knock. Just felt like seeing you."

Pan beamed. She moved closed and took his hand. "By the way, this is Trunks. He's best friends with my uncle, and we're planning a party together for my uncle and his new girlfriend."

"They're both my best friends," Trunks cut in with an amicable smile. "We basically grew up together."

"That's nice," Emmet replied. He probably had nothing to worry about, but that guy's presence made him uncomfortable; this Trunks was way too good looking. It was unnerving.

Pan would never cheat on him, though. That was something he liked a lot about their relationship: he trusted his girlfriend completely. Pan was too pure, too kind to do anything that vile.

Nonetheless, Emmet held her hand firmly, as if to affirm his place as Pan's boyfriend.

"So you're Emmet, huh?" Trunks said casually as the trio got inside Pan's dorm room. "How long have you been together?"

"About six months."

"Seven, actually," Pan corrected good-naturedly as she sat on her bed. Emmet rolled his eyes. He sat beside her.

"You're such a girl."

Trunks felt out of place, like the third wheel. He figured he shouldn't impose on the young couple for much longer. Although, he was curious to watch them interact, to see if there was any good reason for Videl and Gohan's disapproval of this guy.

"You guys hungry? I don't mean to impose," he added quickly, "but I wouldn't mind a snack and the company. I'm paying."

Pan was up in a flash, her eyes sparkling with an excited glint as she raised her fists close to her chest in a leaning-over position. "You mean it?"

Trunks grinned, a faint blush on his face – she was just too cute for words. "Sure. You know I can afford anything you'd order."

Emmet's eyes suddenly widened as he stared at the older man. He hit his palm with the side of his fist. "That's it! You're Doctor Trunks Briefs! That's why you looked so familiar!"

Trunks cracked a cocky smirk. "That's right."

Then Emmet stared at his girlfriend. "You never told me you knew the Briefs!"

Trunks frowned deeply. That sounded like a reproach. Could he really blame Pan for not wanting to flaunt her connections? She was already Mr. Satan's granddaughter, which wasn't an easy shadow to step out of, so of course she wouldn't want to attract any more ill-intentioned people in her life. It was hard enough filtered through the fakes who pretended to want to be her friend just to get closer to her grampa.

Pan simply shrugged, like she honestly couldn't care less that her boyfriend was upset about this. Trunks couldn't help the smirk tugging at his lips.

That girl was simply too awesome.

"He's my uncle's best friend, and I haven't seen him in years until yesterday. It's not like I was going to randomly mention him in a conversation."

Emmet crossed his arms and his face scrunched up in distate, clearly still upset that his girlfriend kept that little tidbit of information from him despite her very legitimate explanation.

Trunks scowled, glaring at the boyfriend. Now he got it. Videl and Gohan were absolutely right not to approve of that guy. What did Pan see in him anyway? He may have only just met him, but Trunks didn't need to spend any more time with this guy to see that Emmet was a dickhead.

He needed to have a serious talk with Pan. It didn't make any sense that such an amazing girl like her could only get a complete moron for a boyfriend. Couldn't she sense the bad vibes in his _ki?_

There had to be more to the story, right? There had to be reason for Pan to have taken a liking to this Emmet.

That, or she simply had the most terrible taste in guys.

At least that meant she shouldn't ever fall for _him_ , Trunks thought dryly. He tried to convince himself that that was a _good_ thing, but his chest tightened painfully without his consent.

Shit. He had it worse than he'd thought…

Goddamn it, why did he have to get that stupid crush on _her_ , out of all the girls he could have? Why Pan, the one woman he could never _ever_ get?

 _Harden, heart,_ he commanded his troubled organ. This couldn't be happening. He didn't want to acknowledge it. He didn't want to even think about it.

He wasn't falling for Pan. He wasn't. He couldn't. He shouldn't. He wouldn't. He wasn't allowed to.

And he wasn't. Pan was just a friend. Their relationship could only ever be platonic.

 _Platonic,_ he repeated in his head.

Platonic, and nothing more. Never more.

Ever.

But then, why was his heart screaming in hopeless outrage?

**Author's Note:**

> I meant this to be a one-shot, but I guess it works better with chapters. I was inspired to write more Pan after the brief scene with her in my recent one-shot Even Fifty Years from Now, and since I like her with Trunks, and my good friend Sailor Saiyan is a huge TxP fan, I figured I'd give the fandom another shot. It's not going to be very long, but honestly, I only have a very vague idea of the plot, so we'll see where the story takes us. Hopefully, you'll be joining me for the ride. And, of course, I had to sprinkle some GhVi goodness in there. Some things can never change lmao. xDD Hope you liked the first chapter – let me know what you think!
> 
> May 11, 2018


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